Number of patients waiting more than 6 weeks for crucial cancer tests doubles

Anger as number of patients waiting more than six weeks for crucial cancer tests doubles

Vital: Early detection can increase the chances of survival among cancer sufferers

The number of patients waiting more than six weeks for cancer tests has almost doubled since the Government axed NHS targets.

In August, 5,795 people waited more than six weeks for MRI scans, ultrasounds and other tests to diagnose whether they have cancer and other life-threatening diseases, new figures have revealed.

Previously, hospitals were under pressure to perform the tests quickly to meet a target of 18 weeks from the patient seeing a GP to treatment for any disease.

But since the target was scrapped in July by the Coalition, waiting times have risen, with thousands facing the ‘hell’ of waiting more than six weeks to find out if they have a potentially fatal disease. The 5,795 figure from August is an 86 per cent rise on June’s figure of 3,109.

That includes 15 major types of diagnostic tests, such as colposcopies to detect cervical cancer; barium enemas used to diagnose bowel cancer; MRI and CT scans, which can detect tumours; and echocardiograms, used to track heart disease.

Cancer charities and patient groups have reacted with fury, saying patients’ lives were being put at risk.

Mike Hobday, head of policy at ­Macmillan Cancer Support, said: ‘This is very alarming – not only because early diagnosis of cancer saves lives, but also because it is enormously distressing for patients to sit and wait in a state of uncertainty. Once you have been referred for these tests, the waiting is hell.

‘These figures are really worrying evidence about what has been happening now the target has gone.’

Katherine Murphy, from the Patients Association, said: ‘These revelations are shocking. Delays in diagnosis shorten people’s lives – we cannot go back to the days where people waited months and months for a diagnosis.’

A Department of Health spokesman said any increase in waiting times could have been caused by patients delaying tests to go on holiday. He added: ‘As a percentage of the number of patients the NHS treats, the increase in diagnostic figures is low.’